Tillerson said the blockade was causing "unintended" humanitarian and business consequences and was "hindering US military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS", or the Islamic State terrorist group.
Qatar's neighbours have also criticised it for allegedly supporting groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.
Speaking from the State Department yesterday, Secretary Rex Tillerson said the blockade of Arab states against Qatar has had led to food shortages and the forced separation of families, and it also is "hindering us military action in the region, and the campaign against ISIS".
President Donald Trump declared Friday that the time has come for Qatar to halt all funding of terrorism, as a diplomatic stand-off between the Gulf emirate and its neighbors escalated.
During his trip to Saudi Arabia last month, Trump said, several Arab nations spoke to him about confronting Qatar over its behavior.
In an extraordinary broadside against a key US partner, President Donald Trump lambasted Qatar on Friday for funding terrorism "at a very high level" and insisted that it stop.
Earlier on Friday, Tillerson asked Saudi Arabia and its allies to halt the blockade because of "humanitarian consequences" and also because it was "hindering USA military actions in the region and the campaign against Isis".
He said the blockade was "impairing United States and other worldwide business activities in the region" and that the United States backed mediation efforts being pursued by Kuwait.
We call on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt to ease the blockade against Qatar. He credited Qatar's emir with making progress in curbing financial support and expelling terrorists, but added, "He must do more, and he must do it more quickly".
Sessions says he plans to testify before Senate intelligence panel
"The Washington Post and USA Today report that Sessions' appearance is expected to be closed". He said in the letter deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein would attend instead.
President Donald Trump doubled down on his war of words with one of America's top Middle East allies, publicly undercutting one of his own senior aides and potentially threatening the future of a vital USA military base.
Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper reported that the initial deployment would be a military assessment team arriving in the coming days to consider reinforcing a 90-strong mission already based in Doha.
The US is seeking to stem a region-wide diplomatic crisis that is threatening its focus on counter-terrorism.
Qatar acknowledges its links to these groups but denies that it supports terrorism.
The Trump administration has repeatedly said it would help the countries resolve their differences, however none of the Arab countries have expressed willingness to have the U.S.as the mediator.
The developments intensified a confrontation between Qatar and a group of Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia and Egypt that accuse it of fomenting instability.
The Pentagon said it agreed with Mr Tillerson's analysis of the impact of the blockade. "For Qatar, we want you back among the community of responsible nations". Turkey has also pledged to provide food and water supplies to Qatar.
Trump was pissed off about the rumors that he didn't realize Qatar hosted CENTCOM?





Comments